…when you ride an XC bike down a Downhill track???

I'd like to think it doesn't matter, but stood next to a bunch of guys last night, all (bar one) on 8inch Full Suss beasts with triple clamp forks and full faces I felt like an imposter and a charlatan…

I tell you what though – I had the best time!!!

I dunno but I suspect most of them rode it a lot faster than you did.

Depends which track it was.

I tell you what though – I had the best time!!!

It only counts if you beat the downhillers on a rigid singlespeed as everyone on STW is able to do 😛

If you weren't dressed up like a MX wannabe you weren't downhilling. 😉

I saw 2 guys on the Surrey Hills on Sunday on 8" DH bikes full triple clamps, full face lids, body armour etc and they were going really really slowly! I'd like to think it was my rad skills which meant I was quicker, but I suspect it was more to do with the fact my bike weighed half what there's did and was rather more nimble than their boat anchors!

I wonder if they thought of it as DHing, even though it's 100% XC riding, and they were slow anyway!

I once pwned some mxers in Grizedale who were bimbling down a descent really slowly in full pajamas – do I get a medal?

I quite often take my xc bike to our local DH spot, it's good training, clatter down, spin back up. I get about 6-7 runsan hour in. Have to remember I'm not on a dh bike sometimes and wind it in a bit…

I saw 2 guys on the Surrey Hills on Sunday on 8" DH bikes full triple clamps, full face lids, body armour etc and they were going really really slowly! I'd like to think it was my rad skills which meant I was quicker, but I suspect it was more to do with the fact my bike weighed half what there's did and was rather more nimble than their boat anchors!

Uphill or down?

I once pwned some mxers in Grizedale who were bimbling down a descent really slowly

They weren't MXers.

But you can have a medal for beating some wannabe MXer trail rider if you want. 😉

MX bikes are shit at descending MTB DH tracks.. innerleithen was quite popular with MX bikes way back (early-mid 90s) and we used to chat with them a lot when DHing, they thought we were mental and openly admitted they wouldn't have a chance keeping up. some of innerleithen's dh track sections were actually created by MX bikes riding UP!

Oh, and OP – call it what you want, I'm old enough to remember over half the field at DH races racing on their XC bikes (and probably doing the XC too). just don't call taking a DH bike to a trail centre DHing 😉

I wonder why are MX bikes so shit at descending? Too heavy to throw around? You'd think they'd be good with all that suspension and big tyres etc.

If you went out to ride a DOWNHILL track, then you were DH'ing no matter what bike you were on. Simple as that really.

It's only DH if you revitalise with Mint Source afterwards.

They're good at descending just not a purpose build DH tracks.

Corners to tight/ trails collapsing due to the power going through the rear wheel that kind of thing.

Next time there's a British Championship enduro on go and watch the top boys out in the woods then tell me how shit they are at descending. 😆

This is REAL DH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLIf6GEJJw8

grumm, not nimble enough – high centre of gravity, too big and heavy for the tighter turns and lines required on most DH tracks.

They're good at descending just not a purpose build DH tracks.

This was on a rocky-ish landrover track in Grizedale, not a DH track. They may well just have been beginners though.

Uphill or down?

Well it would entirely unremarkable if I was quicker than them uphill, I meant down!

I'm sure they'd have been great on steep rocky stuff, but on the fast, twisty, pedally singletrack where I caught them, they were not at all quick!

They may well just have been beginners though.

There you go then.

I just can't imagine a place where an MX bike wouldnt kick an MTBs ass, apart from very tight hairpins!

They were going slightly faster but I put that down to me being on a hardtail and them being on Full Suss's.

Its all riding bikes and put a big smile on my face so not actually sure I really care if it is or not, but it always amuses me turning up and riding on a skinny bike next to all these big rigs.

Its DH riding whatever bike you're on. Christ, its DHing if you're in a wheelchair.

There you go then.

Well maybe, though they had of a selection very shiny colourful pajamas and helmets. They were also not very friendly. 😉

Dunno – I'd quite like to have a go on an MX bike to see though.

Ive a few friends who claim to be downhillers (in Lincolnshire….no, really), some who only ride xc. I just like riding bikes, wherever, wouldnt like to pigeonhole myself(i'd sound like a n0b to start with).

Comparable to when dance music split, and it was no longer ok to like "dance" music, had to be house, or progressive, or funky house or trance, drum and bass, etc…….

Swift – Pigeonholing sucks – bikes whatever they may be are all good! especially if you get the grin going. 😉

I saw 2 guys on the Surrey Hills on Sunday on 8" DH bikes full triple clamps, full face lids, body armour etc and they were going really really slowly!

Some people ride the twisty mellow trails to get to the steep stuff or the play areas. Some people only have one bike. And I don't think having a big bike or wearing body armour puts you at a disadvantage in terms of how much fun you can have.

Talking about MX'rs I took the former basque champion out for his first ever DHing experience yesterday, lent him my STD (ooh-err) and drove us up to the top of a big DH track. He was so excited and kept talking about how much fun it was because the bike was so much lighter and you could 'play with it' a lot more than a MX bike. He said there was a greater sensation of speed with the mountain bike and was asking me how much it'd cost to get a DH bike!

I'll tell you what though, for someone who wasn't a mountain biker he was seriously rapid.

I'll tell you what though, for someone who wasn't a mountain biker he was seriously rapid.

It's a lot easier to transfer MX skills to a pusbike than the other way round. 8)

Some people ride the twisty mellow trails to get to the steep stuff or the play areas

True, but there isn't much stuff to justify an 8" bike anywhere on the Surrey Hills. There's a few play areas on Leith Hill, but they were on Winterfold heading into Peaslake, and didn't look like they were going to make it up over Holmbury and Leith!

Of course it won't stop them enjoying themselves, but I would've thought that hefting something like that up the hills for sod all gain on the descents would be pretty miserable! Each to their own!

Aye, Arron Gwinn is testament to that

Yeah, he did point out that he'd take me MX'ing (they call it Enduro) but that I'd be crap at it and would probably kill myself! I was really impressed with how quickly he picked up the biking, he couldn't jump that well though because they use their throttle to pick the front end up on take-off apparently but on a very fast, steep and loose track that I know very well he was on my tail the whole way down and was probably faster than anyone I've ever taken down there.